Doha, December 09 (QNA) - The Qatari national football team has a rich history in the Arabian Gulf Cup, maintaining a continuous presence since the tournament's inception, which first took place in Bahrain in 1970.

Al Annabi will mark its 26th appearance in the upcoming edition, which will be held in Kuwait from Dec. 21, 2024 to Jan. 3, 2025.

The full presence in the 25 editions held so far, witnessed the passage of generations of coaches and players who created a legacy for Qatari football, whose national team was known for winning the championship three times (Gulf Cup 11 in 1992, Gulf Cup 17 in 2004, and Gulf Cup 22 in 2014), while it came in second place four times (Gulf Cup 7 in 1984, Gulf Cup 10 in 1990, Gulf Cup 13 in 1996, and Gulf Cup 15 in 2002).

The story began when the Bahraini Federation invited the Qatar Football Federation in 1968 to attend a meeting to discuss holding the Gulf Championship, after the Bahraini Federation had obtained the green light from the then President of FIFA, Stanley Rous.

QFA attended the meeting, which laid the cornerstone for the championship that saw the light in March 1970 through the first edition hosted by Bahrain.

The participation of the Qatari team in Gulf Cup 1 under the leadership of the Sudanese coach Mohammed Hassan Khairi, was not as expected, as it came in fourth and last place with one point collected from its draw with the Saudi team, while it lost to Bahrain and the champion Kuwait.

Despite the Qatari teams unsatisfactory performance in the tournament, there was a standout individual achievement. Khaled Ballan, the team's star player, was named the best player of the tournament, earning his first major title, to enter the historical record.

The Qatari teams performance in the second edition of the tournament, held in Saudi Arabia in 1972, mirrored that of its debut, particularly in terms of results, as the team finished in fourth to last place, after the results of the Bahraini team were annulled, losing all of its matches in the tournament which also marked the first participation of the UAE national team.

However, the third edition in 1974, held in Kuwait, saw a marked improvement under the guidance of Egyptian coach Helmy Hussein. The team who was better prepared with a pre-tournament camp in Kuwait, made significant strides, securing their first victory in the competition. The tournament format had changed, with the inclusion of Oman bringing the total number of teams to six.

The Qatari national team maintained third place which was held in Doha in 1976, after the tournament returned to a league format with the inclusion of Iraq. Qatar collected nine points, trailing behind Kuwait and Iraq, who both had ten points. The two teams played a decisive match, in which Kuwait won the title for the fourth consecutive time, an achievement that has not been repeated.

The fifth and sixth editions of the Gulf Cup saw a decline in Qatar's performance. In the 1979 tournament held in Iraq, Al Annabi finished fifth, dropping from third place in the previous two editions. The same result occurred in the 1982 edition in the Emirates, where Qatar again placed fifth.

The Qatari team was very close to achieving the first title in the seventh edition held in Oman in 1984 when it tied with the Iraqi team with nine points each. A play-off match was held to determine the champion, in which the Iraqi team won on penalties 3-2 after a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time.

The Qatari teams performance continued to decline in the following editions. In the 1986 Gulf Cup in Bahrain, Qatar finished fourth with eight points, a step down from previous years. The decline worsened in the nineth edition held in 1988 in Saudi Arabia, where Al Annabi ended in sixth place, second to last, with just four points.

Qatar's performance improved in the tenth edition of the Gulf Cup, held in Kuwait in 1990, with Saudi Arabia and Iraq absent. The Qatari team finished second, behind the champion Kuwaiti team.
The 1992 edition, hosted in Doha, marked a historic milestone for Qatar, as they claimed their first Gulf Cup title in a victory that remains etched in the memories of Qatari fans.

The Qatari team made history by breaking the long-standing monopoly of Kuwait and Iraq, who had dominated the Gulf Cups first ten editions with seven titles for Kuwait and three for Iraq. Al Annabi achieved four victories against a single loss, collecting 8 points that were enough for the coronation.

The Qatari team showcased a host of standout players, led by Mubarak Mustafa, whose exceptional performance earned him both the title of best player and the top scorer award with three goals. Another key contributor, Ahmed Khalil, was recognized as the best goalkeeper. Other players, including Mahmoud Soufi, Adel Khamis, Adel Al Mulla, Zamel Al Kuwari, and Adel MalAllah, also delivered impressive performances, contributing to the team's historic success.

Despite their impressive performance in the 11th Gulf Cup, Qatar's showing in the 12th edition in the UAE in 1994 fell short of expectations. The team ended with a win, a draw, and three losses, finishing in fourth place. Saudi Arabia claimed their first Gulf Cup title, becoming the fourth team to enter the record of champions.

The Qatar National Team bounced back in the 13th edition of the Gulf Cup, held in Oman in 1996. The team emerged as a strong contender for the title, leading after four matches with three wins and a draw. In the final match against Kuwait, a draw would have been enough to secure the title, but Qatar lost, finishing in second place.

Despite the setback, the Qatari team earned two individual awards: Mohammed Salem Al Enazi was named top scorer with four goals, and Younis Ahmed was crowned best goalkeeper.

In contrast to the previous edition, Qatar's performance in the 14th Gulf Cup, held in Bahrain in 1998, was unexpected. The team managed only three points from three draws and two losses, failing to secure a single victory, and finished last in the tournament.

However, things changed dramatically in the next edition, the 15th Gulf Cup, held in Saudi Arabia in 2002. Qatar showed remarkable form, winning four consecutive matches and collecting 12 points.

A draw in their final match against Saudi Arabia would have been enough to secure the title, but Qatar suffered their only loss to the hosts, finishing as runners-up. A notable individual achievement came from Jafal Rashed, who was named the tournaments best player after an outstanding performance.

Qatar claimed third place in the 16th edition of the Gulf Cup, held in Kuwait in late 2003 and early 2004. Saudi Arabia won their third and final title in this edition. Qatar accumulated nine points from two wins, three draws, and one loss.

Less than a year after the 16th edition, Qatar made history again in the 17th Gulf Cup, hosted in Doha in December 2004, claiming their second title. The tournament saw a record eight teams, with Iraq returning after a long absence, and a new two-group system.

Qatar's path to the final was challenging, requiring a win over Oman in their final group match to advance. After drawing with both the UAE and Iraq, Qatar secured second place in the group. In the semifinals, they defeated Kuwait and faced Oman in the final. After a tense penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in both regular and extra time, Qatar triumphed to win their second Gulf Cup title.

Qatars performance in the 18th edition in the UAE in 2007 was disappointing, as they were eliminated in the group stage after two losses and a draw, finishing last in their group.

The team regained their form in the following edition, the 19th Gulf Cup, held in Oman in 2009. Qatar advanced to the semifinals as runners-up in their group, but were knocked out after a 1-0 loss to Oman, who went on to win their first title.

In the 20th edition which was held in Yemen in 2010, the Qatari team exited the group stage after collecting four points, occupying third place after a win and a draw, and a single loss.
Things did not change in the Gulf 21 edition which was held in Bahrain in 2013, where the Qatari team exited the group stage once again with a win and two losses, finishing third place in the first group.

The 22nd edition, held in Saudi Arabia in 2014, witnessed a unique achievement as the Qatari national team claimed its third title in history, its first outside Qatar after winning the 11th and 17th editions in Doha.

The team faced difficulties in the group stage, drawing all three of its matches against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen. However, with three points, Qatar advanced to the next round in second place in the group, behind the host nation, Saudi Arabia.

In the semifinals, Qatar achieved a clear victory over Oman, winning 3-1, setting up a final clash with Saudi Arabia, who had defeated the UAE 3-2.

In the final, Qatar displayed an impressive performance against the host team, coming from behind to win 2-1, securing their third Gulf Cup title and joining Saudi Arabia and Iraq in second place on the list of championship winners at that time.

Qatar was unable to defend its title in the following edition, Gulf Cup 23, held in Kuwait in 2017, as it was eliminated in the group stage, collecting four points from one win, one draw, and one loss, finishing third in Group B.

Entering the 24th edition, hosted by Doha in 2019, the Qatari team was considered a strong contender for the title after winning the AFC Asian Cup earlier that year.

Despite advancing to the semifinals as runners-up in Group A, with two wins and one loss, they were eliminated after losing to Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, the eventual champions, won their first-ever title in this edition.

In the most recent 25th edition, held in Basra, Iraq, Qatar maintained its presence in the semifinals despite fielding a reserve squad.

The team progressed to the knockout stage, finishing second in Group B with 4 points, behind Bahrain, who topped the group with 7 points. Qatar advanced ahead of Kuwait on goal difference but lost to the host team, Iraq, in the semifinals.

Throughout the previous tournaments, Qatar played 114 matches, making it the second most active team, alongside the UAE, who also played the same number of matches, one more than Kuwait.
Qatar won 43 matches, drew 29, and lost 42, scoring 140 goals and conceding 136.

(QNA)